Club attempt to remove atmosphere from the Riverside

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Middlesbrough FC Safety Officer Sue Watson has made herself a figure of hate in the north east by sending a poorly-worded letter to fans who sit in a particular area of the Riverside Stadium, asking them to sit down and shut up.

As we all know, standing up during a game is extremely hazardous and a dangerous breach of fire safety codes, but the fans have also been told that their loud support is “driving some fans mad”. It sounds like a ridiculous hoax, but the folks in health and safety really do want to make the stadium quieter than The Emirates.

An irate fan has told the North East Gazette:

“Are they going to give us prompt cards to tell us when we can sing and when we can’t?

“You would think that given our current league position, the club would be wanting us to help rally the team and get behind them. This is a working class sport and it’s a passionate sport.

“When we were at Ayresome Park, if you weren’t at the game you used to be able to hear the crowd from the town centre. We need to bring back the Riverside Roar.”

While many upset fans are questioning the club’s motives (many protested by turning their backs from the pitch during Saturday’s match), a much bigger question remains: who goes to a football game and complains about the noise? Isn’t that a bit like going to a strip club and complaining about the naked women?

Spoiler bonus: There’s now a Facebook group calling for Sue Watson to be sacked